


Promise You Won't Miss Me

by softlisboa



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:46:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28770306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softlisboa/pseuds/softlisboa
Summary: One of the things Raquel Murillo didn't expect during her life in paradise with Sergio Marquina was seeing her old colleague from Madrid.However when Ángel Rubio miraculously appears in front of the door, she takes it as an opportunity to make a pact with their past and bid a final farewell to her former friend and her old life as police officer.
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Promise You Won't Miss Me

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first try as a writer, I hope it turns out okay. Also I'd like to thank Meg- my younger sister who pushed me onto writing this thing and to my beta reader. Hope you enjoyed the one-shot!   
> -xxx Al
> 
> You can also find this work on wattpad, my @ there is the same.

**_Palawan, Philippines_ **

  
For the past few months Raquel felt like she was living a dream. Finally after having cut out of the toxic and disrespectful community of police officers in Spain, she felt completely free and complete in the hideout of the most wanted criminal. Standing on the cold sand, breathing the still cold air, enjoying the feeling of waves lightly brushing her feet, she inhaled sharply and let herself zone out a bit, thinking and analysing her current life. Surrounded by a beautiful nature of Palawan she thought about how much her life and herself had changed and how all the terrbile evens of the past had their outcome here, with Sergio, maybe this path, though a tough one, was meant to be since the very beginning? Perhaps her destiny was right at her sight? But the most important for her was the happiness of her daughter and mother, without it she wouldn't have even considered moving in with Sergio. And they were happy. Her fear of the possibility that changing surroundings could prevent her mother from having lucid days turned out to be unnecessary since here, without worries of the world, living slowly her mother seemed to be better than ever. Although her biggest insecurity was Paula. She wasn't afraid that Sergio would do any harm to her but Paula also had to cut out of her previous life, including her friends and father without a proper farewell. To Raquel's surprise, Paula showed even more interest and excitement in moving to Palawan than Raquel herself, because what could be better for a young girl that a limitless time she would be spending with her mother at home. Paula adjusted very quickly, partly thanks to Sergio who had taught her some Filipino dialects and helped her improve her English so she could start school right away. The girl seemed like a native, she made friends and quickly became one of the best students in her school. Seeing Paula this happy and careless brought joy to Raquel's heart and dissipated all doubts about making the right decision. She was just about to dig deeper into her past when she recognised a familiar scent and felt her boyfriend nuzzling her neck while he softly encircled her waist with his strong hands. She was immediately brought back to reality.

"Sergio, hi." She reacted to his caress with her sweet dreamy voice she had only for him, humming approvingly she tilted her head a little to give him a better access.

"Morning mi amor." He said while moving up tracing all the way from her neck to her jaw with a tip of his nose, occasionally brushing her skin with his lips.

"Any particular reason why you're in such a good mood today?" She asked as he switched to her face, continuing his kisses all over it.

"It's just our six months anniversary of living together." He left her face to cup it with his hands and look deeply into her eyes, to finally seal their lips in a promising kiss. However, to her surprise, Sergio didn't let her deepen the contact and move to more interesting activities.

"Aren't you cute, and not to mention a little cheesy?" She caressed his cheek gently with her palm as she teased him.

"It's just still so unreal to me, you, here in this absolute paradise with me."

After almost two years of their relationship Raquel continuously felt tears gathering in her eyes every time Sergio opened up like that. A life full of misogynistic colleagues and abusive husband didn't make her used to hearing compliments and confessions about a perfection someone thought she had. Therfore this time wasn't any different, she felt the words stuck in her throat and single tears had started slowly falling down her eyes.

"Raquel?" He wiped her tears with his thumb.

She didn't respond, she looked him in the eyes making a contact only they could ever understand and read, cupped his face with her, compared to his, tiny palms and pulled him towards a kiss, a passionate one surrounded by their quiet moans and calm waves of the beautiful sea on the little, almost private, beach near their house.  
They broke apart when they felt shortness of breath and their lungs desperately demanded oxygen.

"We should go back, Raquel." He stroked her shoulder and interlaced their fingers together.

"What time is it?"

"About seven thirty? Shouldn't Paula be already awake?"

"No, why? Her school starts at nine". She looked at him with confusion written on her face.

"Doesn't she have a school trip to Manila today?" Raquel look at him in horror.

"Oh fuck she does! Sergio we need to be there in thirty minutes! We need to hurry up, now!" She raised her voice, shocked that she has forgotten such an important event.

"You go wake the girl and your mother up and I'll prepare her breakfast and backpack, let's go!"

They tried to reduce their usual morning routine to just ten minutes and thanks to the fact that they knew each other to the core, they could unconsciously synchronise in this unusual time and in no time they were ready to go. After they saw Paula off, exchanging lots of hugs and kisses with a girl, they went back to the car and came back home, occasionally slowing down since they had a rare occasion to admire the full view of Palawan without many tourists and cars on the road due to the still early day. They thought about stopping to do some shopping but both realized they hadn't got a time to change from pyjamas this morning. Raquel was wearing her silk shorts and a tank top with a random Sergio's sweater she grabbed in hurry, as well as Sergio himself, who just put on a first shirt he has found on the floor, the one from their previous night, thankfully it wasn't so crumpled. The shirt happened to match his pyjama white bottoms quite nice, as Raquel pointed out in the car while they laughed about the morning and the fact that they definitely should be more careful next time.

Finally, after few more stops to admire the view, they reached their home and breathed a sight of relief. They were on their way back to their bedroom, wanting to get a little more sleep, when an idea popped up in Raquel's head.

"I can't believe it's the first time we are actually alone since... well our reunion." She verbalized her thoughts.

"Yeah, this house has never been this silent before, can you believe it?" Sergio replied not really understanding what she was going for.

"What time does Paula come back from the trip?"

"About seven pm Raquel, don't tell me you forgot that too." Sergio became slightly more confused than before.

"We have almost 10 hours for ourselves, how about we make this house less silent?" Raquel turned to Sergio and he finally got the hint.

He adjusted his signature gesture, "Well that's sounds like an excellent for me Raquel, but..."

He didn't finish because Raquel has already put her hands on the back of his neck and started kissing him fiercely. He smiled feeling her lips on his, however really unwillingly, pushed her back and continued talking.

"...but, I promised your mother to drop her to Isabela", Marivi's friend and also a therapist, "I know she didn't tell you about it, she told me only yesterday, but I'm glad to see she is doing great". Raquel smiled, stroking his hand.

"Me too." She said, "So very glad"

"What about I'll drop her off now, while I'm gone you can prepare breakfast, we'll eat when I'm back and then I'm all yours love." He left a soft kiss on her forehead.

"That sounds great to me." She stood on her tip toes and pecked his lips.

Sergio headed to their bedroom and dressed up, as Raquel helped her mother with her morning routine. Soon they were all set and went away.

During his absence, Raquel didn't even bother to change her pyjamas since they were about to take it off really soon, she only took the sweater off. She focused on making breakfast for her and Sergio, while quietly singing some of her favourite songs, mostly by Van Morisson. She got into the swing of dancing so hard that she had almost burnt the cinnamon french toasts on the pan. She reduced the stove to the minimum and went to pick up some fresh berries they were growing in pink-chosen by Paula- pots on the windowsill.  
She also chopped some mango, a fruit that they both considered as their favourite and poured the freshly made coffee onto the cups Marivi had bought them on the market with Mr and Mrs written on them as a gift for their first Valentine's together. As Sergio told her on the phone that he would arrive in three minutes, she set the table, put the french toasts on the plates and decorated them with a table spoon of cream mixed with sugar and fresh berries she had picked up earlier. Still humming the same song that almost made her burn the breakfast, she walked through the door to wait for Sergio outside and the moment she reached the stairs on the porch, he got out of the car and ran to embrace her softly. She pulled away after a while and started lightly stroking his chest, bare since he left the first three buttons of the shirt open. He left a butterfly kiss on her hair when she gently withdrew and they walked into the house to eat.

After the whole breakfast of exchanging stares, Raquel felt like she has had enough, they didn't even have a time to do the dishes since as Sergio got up from the chair and offered to take Raquel's empty plate, she put her hands in his hair and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He put their plates down and caught her face between his palms as he slowly slid his tongue to meet hers making her moan quietly. She started to unbutton the rest of his shirt and he didn't waste more time, he slid his hands under her buttocks and gave them a gentle squeeze as he lifted her up having her encircling his waist with her legs. Still holding her, he moved a little down to kiss her neck and occasionally nibbling it, humming in approval when he heard a groan escape her mouth. They started towards their bedroom, bumping in every wall on their way and eagerly scattering Raquel's pyjama top, leaving it somewhere on the floor. As they finally reached their destination, Sergio lowered Raquel to the bed and covered her body with his. Without breaking the kiss, she got rid of his shirt and let it unceremoniously fall to the floor, crumpling a little along the way. They let their hands travel along their bodies as they lustfully explored their mouths with tongues combined in what seemed to be a perfectly choreographed dance. Benefiting from being bare chest to bare chest, they could perfectly feel each others heartbeat, rather fast at that moment, but the feeling itself, of being so close to one another made them sight in awe. Although being awestruck quickly gave way to the overwhelming desire. He tightened his grip on her back and turned their positions, letting her be on top just as she liked. She shot him a lovesome look and straddled him putting her hands on his chest to stabilise. Sergio grabbed Raquel's waist and pulled her in for another kiss and when their yearning for themselves seemed to reach its peak, Raquel started to unbuckle his pants as his hands wandered through her bare back, caressing it and making their way onto the strap of her silk pyjama bottoms. Both moaning uncontrollably now at every caress, kiss and stroke, they didn't hear the thunders outside that started to be more frequent now. The sky was getting darker and darker and finally a very loud rumble from the sky made them jump and stop what they were doing.

"What was that?" Raquel looked at Sergio with shocked grin on her face.

Instead giving her a proper reply he only murmured "I don't know, I don't care." and kept on kissing her.

It was so hard to resist his lips so Raquel kissed him back, hard, both wanting to continue what they had started, but the weather firmly stated it had another plans as another thunder struck, accompanied with a lighting, and this time it was enough for them to stop kissing and look at through the window.

"The storm didn't even bother to send us hints, huh?"

"The whole world seems to be against me fucking you today Sergio." Raquel sighed with both sarcasm and disappointment.

He grinned and glanced at Raquel, naked in her full glory, appearing more gorgeous than ever, he was indeed lucky to have a woman like her by his side. His train of thoughts was yet despite stopped by another loud noise, that they both correctly identified as a breaking tree. They looked at each other and it was more than certain that they were thinking exactly the same as they both screamed:

"The boat!"

"Stay here Raquel I'm gonna secure it, you- close the windows please."

He opened the balcony that provided then everyday with breathtaking landscapes of a sandy beach and azure waters of the South China Sea that now looked sheer apocalyptic. He walked through the sand, struggling due to the strong wind and the fact that he wasn't wearing glasses from the moment Raquel discarded them from his face to make their activities more comfortable. Nevertheless he reached the boat, a filthy one as they used to call it, tied it a little stronger to the pier making sure it's well secured and made his way back to the woman of his dreams waiting for him to pour his feeling into action.

Meanwhile Raquel closed the windows and secured their little berry garden and made sure nothing is left on the porch. After doing all the necessary checking she went back to their bedroom, took off her pyjama bottoms and sat at the edge of the bed, this time fully naked and fully ready.

When Sergio came back, she stood up and without letting him on the bed, she pulled his pants down, alongside with his underwear, crashed her lips with his and dragged him to the bed, as she straddled him again and excruciatingly slowly, with a mischievous grin painted on her face, she lowered herself on him, both of them gasping as she did so, sharp cries leaving their mouths when their bodies weren't apart anymore.

* * *

  
Ángel Rubio, now an inspector, thought his vacation couldn't possibly go more wrong. Starting with his wife demanding a divorce, through the consequences of failing to stop the Royal Mint heist, now he was in Philippines on so-called travel of his dreams, standing in the middle heavy rain and dangerous storm, having nowhere to go. The fuck with the views, no view right now looked like a paradise it was supposed to be, the fuck wit the sun that was said to never leave the island- there was no sun, but only darkness despite it being only three pm. He was already soaked through while he decided to stop on the main road and try hitchhiking, but before he reached his destination, he spotted a house near the sea, that seemed as sent from heaven when he needed it the most. He headed towards the wooden, but strong construction. Ángel was mesmerised by the way the residents look after this place. There were hammocks near the beach and the porch swing, a coffee table next to the fence decorated with flowers and a door that, though totally ordinary, added some sort of peace to the household. He spotted an intercom and pushed the only button, hoping for the dwellers to save him from freezing to death.

* * *

  
The room was filled with the sounds of the bodies aggressively smashing one against another. Both Sergio and Raquel could only let out loud moans mixed with screaming each others names as they were getting closer and closer to tipping over the edge. Raquel felt Sergio squirm under her as he dug his nails even harder into her waist, leaving marks. He picked up the pace, his breath almost coming in sobs. She was so overwhelmed with pleasure that she could barely utter a word, her sight started going blank, she sensed the tension waiting for be released, one, two or four more thrusts and the wave would breake, leaving her shaking, screaming, but magnificently satisfied.  
She closed her eyes and opened her mouth letting another groan escape when she heard a doorbell ringing. Sergio seemed to hear it to as he stopped moving inside her and gave her a look full of confusion.

"What the f-" Raquel didn't even finish the sentence because of the doorbell ringing again and again. "I'm gonna check what's all this about." Sergio looked at her slightly annoyed and met her eyes expressing exactly the same emotion.

Another ring. They've had enough.

"I'm coming!" Raquel yelled loudly, so the mysterious visitor could hear her.

"But not for you honey, I'm so sorry." She looked at Sergio who opened his mouth in both shock and admiration that quickly turned into a laugh.

Raquel slowly slid him out of her insides, whimpering with disappointment, while stroking his cheek and when she got out of bed, brushing it with her lips. She picked his a little crumpled shirt up and put in on, buttoning it alternately as she approached the door and opened it.

"Hello, what's happening-" her breath got stuck in her throat as she found out who the visitor was.

"Raquel?!" Ángel exclaimed, being completely in shock to see her standing in the threshold, with her hair all messy and sticking to her forehead here and there, wearning nothing but a badly buttoned shirt that clearly belonged to some man.

"Ángel?", Raquel couldn't believe her eyes.

He analysed her appearance once again and hesitantly asked her:

"Did...did I interrupt your.... well something?" He couldn't even look her in the eye.

"Yeah, ...yes you actually did", Raquel was looking at the floor, answering her colleague equally hesitantly. "What are you doing here?"

"The storm had caught me and believe me or not this is the only house in the radius of three kilometres!" They both laughed, just like the old times.

"Come in then, I'll give you some of my boyfriend's clothes and you'll get warm."

"Really? I don't want to make any problem." Ángel had his mind occupied rather on who the mentioned boyfriend was since Salva left and no one heard anything from him, than about getting warmer what has been his previous goal.

During all the time from when Raquel has left the bed, on the verge of an orgasm both hers and his, still gasping and coming from his high, Sergio noticed his heart rate speed up and it definitely wasn't because of the blissful pleasure he has been so close to experience. He realised he was afraid the longer Raquel wasn't coming back. Did something bad happen to Paula or Marivi? Or is it possible that they have been caught? As he couldn't stand the fear taking over his mind, he got up, put on only his pants and laxly buckled the belt. Then he ran towards Raquel to put his mind at ease, however what he saw there was the exact opposite of doing that. He froze at the sight of a familiar man in front if him and he was barely able to speak as he uttered:

"Inspector Rubio!?"

"Sal- Marquina?!" He threw the words into an abyss and turned to Raquel: "This is who you were getting busy with?"

Raquel nodded, surprised that Ángel would even consider anyone else with her. She looked at him, then at Sergio as she invited her former friend inside. Letting the sub-inspector go first, she grabbed Sergio's hand and whispered to him:

"I know you're not his fan but please give him some tshirt and sweatpants and if you can take something out for me too, I'm gonna take care of him here, please."

"No problem, what do you want to wear today?" Sergio didn't seem bothered by being asked to borrow his clothes to his enemy at all.

"A dress, pick your favourite one" Raquel whispered onto his ear with a little teasing in her voice.

While Sergio went to chose clothes for all of them, she headed towards Ángel and offered him a tea to let him warm up. She turned on the kettle, prepared three cups and chose a black tea with strawberry flavour, a tea her family loved more than any other beverage, maybe except for the thrity years old red wine her and Segio always drank when discussing important things.

Raquel told Ángel to sit down and handed him a cup of tea as she put the other two on the table, still messy because of the breakfast they haven't cleaned after their desire for one another was stronger than desire to do the dishes. Using the awkward silence between former colleagues Raquel started to put the dirty plates in the sink so she wouldn't have to catch an eye contact with the guest, but that didn't work either since her movements were limited by virtue of the fact that she was only wearing Sergio's shirt without anything underneath and though the visible high difference between the couple, it barely reached past her buttocks.

"Thanks." Ángel muttered as he took the sip after sip of the warm tea, occasionally glancing at Raquel's almost naked body he used to dream about ever since Cercedilla

"No problem." Raquel's answer was quiet, filled with fear in her voice, she seemed to worry about the same thing Serio had a while ago.

"Is something wrong Raquel?" Ángel asked, not getting why she was suddenly drained out of happiness.

"I've got clothes for you." Sergio interrupts the weird silence and handed clothes to Ángel, "The bathroom is at the end of the corridor right there" he added, then noticed the change in Raquel's mood.

When Ángel left to dress up, he approached her and asked, with a clear sign of anxiety in his voice:

"What's happening mi amor?" he put a hand under her chin and lifted her face up, noticing tears gathering in Raquel's eyes.

She didn't respond, she just wrapped her hands around his middle and hid her face in his chest.  
As he heard her sobbing, he hugged her a little tighter and stroked her hair in a calming gesture. They stood like this for a moment, then Raquel gathered courage and words to speak:

"Sergio what if he tells the police about us? What if the police is already here? I promised not to put my daughter and mother in danger and yet it's all what I'm doing, I'm so scared, I'm..."

He didn't let her finish, he left a kiss on her hair and as soon as she looked up, on her forehead, wanting to assure Raquel that their family is safe, although he didn't believe all of his own words:

"Raquel, I, I'll do everything to keep you safe and if it means going to jail I will. We can move out as soon as he leaves and you two need to talk, maybe he won't tell them as you make everything clear, let's just not let him feel our concern, okay?" He felt his own tears fall down his face.

"You hardly believe yourself, do you? But anyway thanks for trying to put my mind at ease even if yours is not there." She wouldn't let him answer, she wiped his tears with the tip of her fingers and cupped his face, pulling him onto the kiss that would help them cool off as well as tell him all she couldn't say with words now.

Noticing the couple kissing, Ángel decided against going back in that exact moment and hid behind the wall before he could have got spotted. Suddenly an open door to what seemed as a bedroom drew his attention and knowing very well he shouldn't, he walked inside. Despite regretting his choice to lurk, he carried on, becoming more and more suspicious.

To Ángel's mind the room didn't resemble Raquel in one bit, she has never seemed as a person who would choose to wear a lacy lingery, that now was laying on the floor along with many other scattered clothes and another underwear. She has never appeared as someone open in bed and yet he saw a makeshift rope of two ties, tied tightly onto the headboard of the double bed. The bed itself looked as if a hurricane has gone through it, making the sub-inspector more sure than ever that he had walked into their house in the worse moment possible. On the bed, contrasting with a huge mess, lay a yellow dress with flower pattern and a note. He picked it up and read the text written in the prettiest handwriting he has ever seen:

_"My love, you asked me to choose a dress I like the most. Personally_ _I_ _think you would look the best without it, because your naked body is simply spectacular, but I suppose you wouldn't like to go around the house like that,_ _though_ _I_ _wouldn't_ _mind it for a moment._ _That's_ _why I_ _picked_ _another one, a dress you wore on our first date in this paradise, a day we had officially decided to become a_ _couple_ _and bring_ _your_ _family_ _here_ _. I suppose you might be as nervous as I am now, but_ _I_ _hope the dress and the_ _note_ _will light_ _up_ _your mood a little. I_ _love_ _you so much my beautiful and_ _strong_ _inspectora, now I won't have to ask what are you wearing._  
 _Kisses, Sergio M. "_

Ángel put the note back, feeling touched by the side of the professor he didn't know, someone who loved Raquel as much as she deserved, with his whole being. As he noticed that Sergio's simple confession about picking a dress made him cry, he made a decision and what to do with the discovery of their whereabouts. The more he saw his own dream being lived by someone else the more painful it became to stay in that bedroom hence he resolved to go back to the kitchen.

Seeing Ángel coming back, Sergio and Raquel pulled away and look at his direction. Raquel thought this was the first time her sub-inspector looked actually good just because he wore Sergio's clothes.

Regretting to break the only moment when Raquel paid attention to him, Ángel said:

"Thank you again, for helping me." Suddenly what came to his attention was the distance the couple kept from him and their level of concern was so big that it could cover the way to Spain and back. Looking at them, this frightened, made him even more sure about the decision he had made back in the room.

"You're welcome, do you need anything more?" Raquel tried to hide the fear from him, a skill she unfortunately had mastered while being married to Alberto.

"Can we talk Raquel?"

She turned to Sergio as if seeking his approval, she didn't need it of course but it was something about looking in his eyes that made her feel stronger and calmer. He nodded in agreement that the conversation was indeed necessary. He bent over to Raquel's ear as he whispered in a deep voice: "but please dress up it's so difficult not to just grab you back to the bed while you're looking this divine", he bit her earlobe as he said those last words, making Raquel shiver and sense a sharp tingle between her legs.

"Sure." Raquel responded, now without any fear in her voice. "But let me change first." She gave a quick kiss to Sergio and walked away to put on the dress that her boyfriend had picked up as his favourite.

Instantly after Raquel left, the look on Sergio's face became more serious as he shot Ángel a warning glance. His self restraint to stay still broke as he asked:

"What on Earth are you doing here inspector?"

"I swear I just lost my way and then the storm caught me, I didn't plan to-" He didn't finish, Sergio, who was trying to disguise his dislike for the man in front of him, interrupted:

"Were you searching for us?"

"Marquina, please let me at least explain. I had gone here for vacation to escape the rat race of a life as police officer. I wanted to go for a walk to the cliffs today but then there was the storm, I have no bad intentions and while I really want to bring everyone here and take you to jail son of a bitch I won't do it! I want to! But I can't hurt Raquel like this." Sergio froze for a moment, reasoning whether his mixed feelings about Ángel were right, but at the sound of Raquel's name leaving his lips, he was at the spot brought back to reality.

"Wha-What did you say?" He muttered

"I said I won't give out your whereabouts." The sub-inspector remained surprisingly calm while making possibly the worst decision of his life.

"You're joking aren't you?" Sergio still couldn't believe in what he has just heard. That was all impossible.

"I'm gonna be straightforward man. I have already hurt Raquel enough in my life, I know I'm going against every rule I had sworn to obey, but listen to me because I wont say it twice: You're damn lucky you have written that note to Raquel because otherwise I might have never believed that you really have feelings for her. But you do, very strong ones as I see. And Raquel, she's an incredible woman... Raquel deserves to be loved and respected, to be someone's centre of the universe and I hate to say it, but in this universe only you seem to be the closest to give her all of that. Hence as a person who has never stopped loving her, I want her to be happy, which she is here with you, and I don't dare to destroy that happiness she's been trying to get all her life." Ángel put his hand on Sergio's shoulder and saw him sobbing after his speech. "Don't tell me the biggest robber in Spain is crying right now."

Sergio involuntary sobbed once again as he decided to do the strangest thing he has ever done. He embraced Ángel, muttering a soft "Thank you."

" _I still don't like you but I feel like we can bury those axes now_." He thought as he felt the other man patting his back. Now both of them were sobbing.

Suddenly their hear the third sobb, so they separated quickly and turned back and saw Raquel, now dressed, wiping her eyes with her palms.

"What you're both so cute." All three of them laughed like old friends, as if the heist didn't happen at all.

Raquel walked up to Sergio, running her fingers through his hair, wordlessly thanking him for the note. He took her hand into both of his, a gesture she considered very adorable for how her palms looked tiny compared to his, looked her in the eye, like he was about to say something important, but he only uttered a simple question.

"Amor I'd like to take a shower but I won't if you need me right now, but I also think you two should talk and I don't want to disrupt y-"

She silenced him with a kiss that he returned with even bigger passion, asking for the entrance with the tip of his tongue. At the granted passage, Segio joined his tongue with hers, kissing her harder at every quiet moan she let of. Almost simultaneously they reminded themselves of another presence in the room, so they stepped back, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Unable to even look at Ángel, Sergio just set foot into direction of shower, feeling Raquel's fingers lightly slapping his butt.

Raquel shrugged her shoulders, looking at her former colleague apologetically.

"Let's talk?" She pointed at the table behind them.

"Let's talk." He followed her directions.

* * *

  
After five minutes of small talk, now knowing a little more about one another, (Raquel was quite shocked as she learned he had got divorced and Ángel, although feeling slightly jealous, was very intrigued with the new life of hers).

"So, I suppose you're not working now since you live with probalby the richest Spanish?" She chuckled at his words.

"I don't work like I used to before, but I am busy with working with young kids in charities and helping Sergio at school..." Raquel loved the fact that her boyfriend, despite his criminal contacts and thinking, he was very keen on helping the kids from less privileged families with learning, for free. "I'm also taking care of my eight year old child and mother, so I cannot complain at the lack of things to do", she added with a tender smile. "What are you doing now by the way? How's Prieto and his menopause mother?", they both chuckled at the memory.

"Nothing is the same since you have left Raquel, believe me or not but we are still sorting out the heist and your husband..." he stuttered, "your husband is the most liked person in the whole country."

Raquel flinched at the word "husband", almost correcting him but eventually let him continue

"And Prieto well, he's still a dick but even he misses you sometimes."

"Well I don't miss him or anything there." She frowned.

Getting a little wired, he failed to stop his words from coming out of his mouth, even if he has been trying his best.

"Raquel what the fuck are you doing? You've ruined your life irrevocably! The police is searching for you too today!"

She rolled her eyes at the sentence she has heard way too many times before

"Listen to me, this" she traced a line in the air with her palms "this is my life now, and you know what? It's thousand times better than my previous one, no matter how ruined you perceive it as. I'm happy Ángel." Her words hit him hard for it being presumably the first time ever she has sounded so honest and unhesitatingly. Nevertheless he didn't omit to enquire:

"Are you really, Raquel?"

"Yes, more than I've ever been in my life." She looked him deep in the eye, hoping that he has understood her well this time

He wanted to undermine her words, but he knew it wouldn't make any change, not now, not ever.

"Then I'm glad Raquel." She looked at him with surprised grin, wanting to thank him for dropping the pointless doubts about her feelings, yet she was unable to utter a single word.

"It's been twenty minutes, how long does Marquina take the shower? They suppressed a laugh.

"He is giving us time to talk in private, Don Pimpon, I bet he has already finished."

As if the sound of his name could evoke him, Sergio opened the bathroom door, which didn't go unnoticed by Raquel who bit her lower lip when she saw him there looking handsome as always. He was wearing a light blue shirt, leaving the first few buttons open, just as Raquel liked it. The sleeves were rolled up, disclosing his forearms, showing his veins that had popped after the warm and steamy shower. As usual, the top of his outfit was lightly tucked into his pants, dark gray color and the suit-like texture nicely contrasted with the shirt whose taint resembled the morning sky. Sergio mitigated the distance between his girlfriend and him to the centimetres apart, and intending just to peck her lips, but she must have misread his intentions since she bit his lower lip he couldn't do nothing, but sink into the fierce kiss.

Having Ángel staring at them, again, they stepped back and re-directed their attention to the sub-inspector. This time Sergio joined them at the table, gaining courage to ask their guest to recall his words from before.

As though Raquel had read his mind, she interlaced her fingers with Sergio's, knowing that holding her hand, feeling her soft and warm skin against his, made him gain the strength to replace Atlas in holding the skies' dome.

Feeling the surge of energy in his vein at the touch of her skin, he fired the shot:

"Inspector would you mind revoicing what you have told me before?", Ángel nodded, he expected him to say that.

"Raquel, I made a decision not to give out your whereabouts to the police."

Completely frozen and shocked, Raquel couldn't say anything, so Ángel went on:

"I just can't do it to you, I can't take away all your happiness."

Still incapable of taking, Raquel rose from her seat and hugged her former friend, just like she had done when he had offered his help back in Madrid. Hoping that the hug would say everything she wished to tell him at this particular moment. Thankfulness.

"I love you Raquel.", Ángel muttered, causing Raquel to withdraw and look at him pitingly. Even Sergio stared at him completely baffled.

"Ángel, I-" Her reaction was just like he has foreseen so he didn't let her finish:

"I love you, I always will, and that's why I want you to be happy. I see you truly are, with him, and I know Marquina will take good care of you. I have never acted appropriate towards you, so now it's my last chance to try to make it up somehow."

"Thank you, Ángel, I'm glad, profusely." Raquel summed up his short speech.

"Thanks inspector." Sergio said as he embraced Raquel from the back, stroking her sides tenderly.

They remained silent for a moment, then Rubio felt like it was time to leave, because everything has already been said.

"Well I see the storm has passed so I'm gonna leave now. You can finish what you've started since I have clearly ruined your intimate moment." All three of them chuckled at his words. "My clothes seem to have already dried so I'll just go change and I'm gone.", he went back to the bathroom, picking his clothes up along the way from the makeshift dryer.

Now left alone, Raquel and Sergio embraced each other, eager to feel the warmth of one another's body, finding their own little bubble inside the crazy situation they have just witnessed. Raquel lifted up her head, drew her chin upon his chest and and wondered:

"Do you think he has told us the truth? Can we really feel safe here?" Expecting a quick answer from him, she caught an eye contact to convince him with her piercing gaze.

"I am surprised to say that, but I actually do believe him. Anyhow I still think we should move out, just for sheer peace of mind that if he some day decided to go back to pry, he wouldn't find us again." Anxious at not hearing her response, looking everywhere but on her, he added" I'm sorry love, I know it's not the kind of live you have imagined for you."

"Sergio." She cupped his face, turning him to face her again. "I agree with you, and I know what I signed up for. I don't care if we life here or next to the some filthy barn. I just need you and our family there. Wherever you are is home to me." She pulled his face closer, firstly lightly brushing her lips with hers, then kissing him properly.

They kissed without hurry, there was neither desire nor passion. Just their love and comprehension for one another. Without picking a rythm for their kisses, holding an irregular pace, as a painter carelessly brushing the canvas, they came to a natural stopping point. Both left gasping, as when they have kissed in hangar. They leaned their foreheads against each other's and stayed there for a while, absorbing their unity and loyalty, breathing in the unique scents of their bodies.

When Ángel left the bathroom, leaving the clothes he had been lent folded on the washing machine, Sergio took Raquel's hand. With the free one he pointed at the door. The three of them headed towards the exit.

The sky has already cleared, its ultramarine surface bedecked with small clouds. Raquel looked up admiring the beautiful view, thinking that as if the skies could feel, the more things she has talked over with her former friend, the more the weather was improving- burying the dark and stiff past and letting the images of bright and tranquil future become believable.

Suddenly she knew the time has come, the time to bid a final farewell to him as a friend and as symbol of her past left behind.

Seeming to have come to realise the same, Ángel extended his hand to Raquel.

"Thank you." He said taking her hand into his. "Goodbye Raquel." He smiled, letting go of her.

"Goodbye Ángel." She felt strangely calm and happy about taking his leave.

As he turned around and started walking towards the main road, nearly approaching the fence, Raquel screamed:

"Hey!" He turned to her, confused. "Promise you won't miss me."

He didn't say anything, he smiled to himself and continued walking onward, his figure gradually disappearing and waning before her eyes until he was only a memory.

And with Ángel her past travelled back to Madrid. From now, she decided to look only into the future, hers, and Sergio's, that seemed to be painted in very bright colours.

* * *

  
Later that day, when the Sun gave way to the Moon, Raquel and Sergio lay embraced on the hammock, looking at the starts that started to adorn the deep blue sky. With her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat as he was brushing her golden hair with his long fingers.

"Do you know..." Raquel started stroking his chest through his shirt. "When I told you that I might have faked an orgasm once, it was with him. He was so terrible I'm telling you!" They laughed.

"I know he is terrible." Sergio commented leaving Raquel astonished.

"You have slept with him too?" She joked.

"No, god, no! Do you remeber when he told you he had sex with Maricarmen that morning?" She nodded. "Well he had a microphone in his glasses back then so I may or may not have heard everything from it." Raquel couldn't resist bursting with laughter.

"I'm so sorry."

"Yeah it was terrible! I could hear and imagine it vividly and I regret every single moment." Now both of them were laughing their lungs out, hugging even tighter. Then she stopped it with a sigh and whispered:

"Thank you for today Sergio, without you I wouldn't be able to handle him."

"That's not true, you can handle everything, you're very strong you know?"

Instead of replying she sealed their lips together, increasing the tempo and passion with every second. Knowing exactly what she meant by it, Sergio licked her lips, asking for entrance she had given him right away. Feeling more and more desire, he let his hands roam on her sides, but as she started unbuttoning his shirt, he withdrew.

"Sergio?" She looked at him with blank expression on her face. "Don't you want it?"

"No of course I do want it, but we need to change the place, we had broken enough hammocks trying to have sex on them." They laughed at the memory when they got an undeniable proof in the shape of a blown off fabric and strings, that hammock is not a good place to make love.

They got up and resumed kissing as Sergio lifted her up, carrying her to the bedroom.

And this time she came _for him_.

**THE END**


End file.
